Ed George started working in the restaurant business when he was 15. At the time, his father owned a small restaurant called Tangier on East Market Street.
Growing up, George worked every position there, from busboy to coat-room clerk. When he graduated from college in 1963, he began to take over the operation (now relocated to West Market Street).
Over the last 40 years, George has watched many transformations of Tangier’s customer base and has expanded and changed his venue throughout the years to keep up with those changing lifestyles. As he candidly points out, “It’s really a tough business to be consistent at, but we’re going to keep trying.”
He’s now in the process of leading his Akron landmark, known for big steaks, late-night parties and glitzy Middle Eastern décor, into a new, more reserved era.
When you took over your father’s restaurant in 1963, what was your primary mission?
When you’re in the restaurant business, I don’t think you’re trying to achieve a great wealth. All of us in this industry get a great satisfaction out of a satisfied customer. That’s the thing that attracts us to the business. I think the more that you make people happy, and the more people that have a great experience in your restaurant, the more you want to continue being in the business and expanding.
In the end, of course, it becomes a profit thing. You have to make money at it. But there are easier ways to make money than being in the restaurant business, because one of the hazards of our business is that you have to continually reinvest your money back into the business. It’s a labor of love to be in this business.
When did you finally feel that you had things under control, and that you were truly running a successful operation?
We were such a small restaurant that we were busy all the time. Then we had a great demand for banquets, and we didn’t have any banquet rooms. So in 1965, we made the existing restaurant a banquet room, and then we bought quite a few homes in the area, and knocked them down to expand our restaurant.
Have you ever thought that you overexpanded, or have you always been able to utilize the space?
In ’65, we didn’t overexpand. Because then banquet space was so much in demand, that in ’75, we did the expansion that exists now — when we built the entertainment room and we built the other banquet rooms. That all came from demand.
We needed more entertainment space, we needed more banquet space and we needed a larger dining space. Would you build this many square feet today? I think you would if you were going to be a banquet center. In dining, I really don’t think you need this much space today.
Has the demand for banquets decreased?
The demand doesn’t decrease. You just have to be more aggressive and keep people aware that you have the facilities. When you’ve been around as long as we have, you have a different, changing consumer, and as your customers retire and move, you have a different consumer.
You have to do better marketing, better PR, and give a little more attention to your customer today. The toughest thing we’re all fighting in the industry today is the tight labor market. And the toughest thing to find today is good service.
How has your typical customer changed?
How has everybody changed! No. 1, smoking has changed. Drinking has changed. Drinking and driving has changed. Health has become a big issue. They’ve all become factors in our business which all of us have had to deal with.
When Tangier was packed all the time, it was until 2:30 in the morning. Those times have changed. People weren’t concerned in those days as much about their health. Nobody knew what high cholesterol was. It was just good. People have more awareness today.
How have you kept up with those changes?
A lot of our Mediterranean foods fit into the health mode. There are a lot of vegetarians today, but on the other hand, you have the other people who are coming back to steak again, as you see all the steak houses being rejuvenated. Steak will never go away.
How have you compensated for a decline in alcohol consumption, and for people not staying out as late?
That’s why we book entertainment. Usually when people go out to see entertainment, there are more alcohol sales. The alcohol sales have decreased in the more responsible part of the population, people who have families or are a little older.
But if I took you to some of the younger joints in town, you wouldn’t think alcohol consumption has dropped. Maybe it’s dropped in the way that instead of having five martinis, people will have a bottle of wine. They still drink, it’s what they drink. There’s much more wine, much more beer.
Tangier is again about to go through a major transformation. Can you share any of those plans, and how they will accommodate today’s consumer?
We’re such a destination location. That’s why entertainment does so well here, and that’s why banquets do so well. You come here because there’s a reason to come here. What we’re trying to do is become a little bit more casual, and have more of a fresh look. More Middle Eastern foods, but a little less of the look we have.
People like brighter places today — more outside light. I’m going to use some of my facilities in a different way, but exactly how, I’m not sure yet.
What advice would you give someone today who was starting a restaurant?
You’re nuts. You have to either love it or hate it. There’s no middle ground in our business. I was single until I was 45, and people ask why. Well, how the hell can you get married when you’re here morning until night? You walk to your car at 3 in the morning.
Nobody wants you. You’re never at a family function; you’re never at Thanksgiving; you’re never at Easter. Now I realize what a tough business I’m in. I just happen to love the business. How to reach: Tangier Restaurant & Cabaret, (330) 376-7171
Connie Swenson ([email protected]) is editor of SBN.
